Wheel.



No.'685,296.. Patented Oct. 29, I901; .1. m. RANKIN.

WHEEL.

(Application filed Feb. 21. 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. RANKIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 685,296, dated October29, 1901.

' Application filed February 21, 1901. SerialNo. 48,270. (No model.)

To all whom 236 may concern;

Be itknown thatLJAMEs M. RANKIN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,(having mypost-office address at No. 79 lVall street, New York, N. Y.,)have made a new and useful Invention Pertaining to Vt heels, of whichthe following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of portionsof a wheel, showing the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a verticalsectional view of the parts involved in the invention looking in thedirection of the arrow in Fig.3. Fig. 3 is an endwise elevation of theinvention as illustrated in Fig.2. Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective viewof the characteristic feature of the invention detached. 1 V

Heretofore in the event of a spoke being broken in a wheel it has beennecessary in order to replace it to take off the tire, usually bycutting the same, loosen the felly, remove the broken spoke, drive in anew one, and then readjust the felly and tire, and in order that a goodjob may be made the tire is usually reset.

By my invention I am enabled to insert a new spoke or spokes in theplace of broken ones in a practical and satisfactory manner and at asmall part of the cost required under the former system, also withoutthe defacement to the wheel which inevitably attends the operationsformerly necessary.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings hereof I have shown a truok-wheel-ethat is tosay, one'in which the diameter of the hub is large as compared with thediameter of the wheel. It will be understood that the invention isapplicable to all forms of vehicle-wheels of this general class. Y

A illustrates the hub; B, the folly; C, the tire; D, the spokes. In theevent that one of the spokes becomes broken, as indicated by theirregular line a, a section is sawed out of it, if necessary, as shownby the dotted lines I) b, and then the two remaining parts are workedloose from the felly and hub, as the case maybe, without disturbing anyof the other spokes or any other part of the wheel. I then employ acasting (shown best in Fig. 4) which embodies a rectangular or otherwiseshaped piece E, adapted to enter snugly Within the mortise in the hubfrom which'the broken spoke has been removed.

At the upper end of the part E there areended.

A new spoke is fashioned the same in all respects as the spokes in thewheel, excepting that the hub-tenon is removed and it is made toterminate at the hub end in a dovetailed portion H, which coincides inall respects with the dovetailed space within the side plates G, and itis preferably provided with shoulders I I, adapted to rest upon theupper edges of the side plates G G, also with another shoulder K, (seeFig. 2,) adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the rear plate G. Theseshoulders I I and K are not abso lutely essential; but I prefer thatthey be present, so as to add strength and to improve the appearance.The parts being prepared as stated, the casting referred to is driveninto the-mortise in the hub until the shoulders F come down solidly uponthe hub adjoining the said mortise. Thereupon the spoke, which has hadthe folly-tenon suitably prepared upon its outer end, is worked up intothe .hole in the felly until it is snugly home therein, care being takenthat the dovetailed tenon or extremity H on the spoke bears a properrelation to the dovetailed recess in the casting between the side platesG and end plate G, so that when the tenon at the felly end has beenforced home the dovetailed terminal H at the hub end of the spoke may bedriven back into the corresponding recess in the casting, as shown bestin Figs. 2 and 3. Thereupon the projecting ends L L of the side plates GG are bent over in front of the inserted spoke, as shown best in Fig. 1,thus securely holding it in place.

- It will be observed that if the Work is performed with proper accuracythe inserted Spoke will be held with great rigidity and strength,andafterthe partshave been painted it will be difficult to notice thedifference between the inserted spoke and the others. It will beunderstood, of course, that the metal of which the casting is made issuitably annealed, so as to permit of the bending over of the projectingends L L.

I sometimes make holes M M in the side plates, so thatcross-rivets Nmaybe employed to additionally hold the spokes in place. \Vhen suchrivets are used, there is no necessity for bending the projecting ends Lon the side plates over the face of the inserted spoke, and in this caseit is not essential that the casting be annealed or made malleable. Iprefer, however, in all instances to make the casting of malleable ironin order that it may have the proper strength.

The castings or sockets are made in a variety of sizes to coincide withthe prevailing sizes of spokes and mortises as now made commercially. Ifthere should be a slight variance in the inserted spoke as compared withthe others, it will not be noticed.

It will be .obvious to those who are familiar with this subject thatbolts, screws, or other devices may be substituted for the rivets N;also, that it is not essential that the space between the plates G G bedovetailed, particularly if the rivets or their equivalent be employed.Nor is it essential that there should be an end plate. The two sideplates G G will serve the purpose, provided the rivets or theirequivalent be employed. Also instead of being an iron or steel castingthe part referred to may be made of brass or equivalent non-corrosivemetal. I contemplate making them of such metal for fine work.

I do not limit myself to the details of the invention shown, since theymay be somewhat plates and an end plate adapted to embrace and supportthe hub end of a spoke, and projecting portions of the side platesadapted to be folded over the face of the inserted spoke.

8. As a new article of manufacture, asocket for the purpose stated,embodying a part adapted to enter a mortise in a hub, shoulders on saidpart adapted to rest against the surface of the hub, side plates adaptedto embrace the hub end of a spoke, and means to confine the end of thespoke between said side plates.

4:. The combination of a hub, a socket embodying a part adapted to entera mortise in the hub, said socket having side plates adapted to embracethe hub end of a spoke; a spoke having at one end a tenon adapted toengage with the felly, and shaped at the hub end so as to engage withthe socket; and means to hold the hub end of the spoke in proper en.-gagement with the socket, for the purposes Set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 16th day of February, A. D. 1901.

JAMES M. RANKIN.

Witnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, EDGAR R. MEAD.

